Wednesday, 10 July 2013

Dropping like a stone

The book is going through a change of shape. Received a beautifully written 'sermon' (her word) from Renee, my mentor, in response to the latest writing I sent her -

Kia ora Navina, more, more detail, more detail, more detail, write as
though your reader knows nothing. Describe
your mother, your sisters, you don’t mention your father. And if this is your weekly output it's not
enough. Not nearly enough.

I like the idea very much, I feel it’s nearer the heart of the matter,
but I need to say that this is a serious
project and it could work extremely well but you must give it your if not
whole - at least a large part of - your time and attention. You need to have an aim when to finish a
draft. You need to set a deadline. You need to have a weekly output to which you
keep.

You need to write as though it matters intensely that the reader
understands this story. You need to write as if someone was trying to stop you
and you’re determined to get it finished.
Have a good think about it. This
is not a pastime like embroidery, this has to matter and it has to matter to
you enough so that you set aside time, regular time, that it becomes something
that you have to do not something you choose to do. I think you are at the crossroads and only
you can make these decisions. It's like
falling in love, you have to drop like a stone into the pool and go with
it. I hope that you do. Aroha, Renée

I am one lucky person to have Renee at my elbow.
I'd be a fool not to follow her advice.

Here we gothen...

dropping

like

a

stone

in

a

pool

Photo from Wikipedia, picture taken by Roger McLassus, improved by DemonDeLuxe, Sep 2006, entitled Surface waves of water.For more about Renee, her writing, her teaching and her friends, see her blog here, wednesdaybusk.com